SALE TIME

The holiday season is upon us.
Right here right now
So what does that mean for the Pithy Art Blog? What does that mean for the etsy shop?
it means SALE SALE SALE

I have a lot of really cool unique items in my etsy site
Zoeowyn and they all need a new place to live. They are not enjoying their lives in storage. I do try to keep the storage system a way and happy place for them to be, however it does not grant the jewelry the same freedoms that wore pieces have.

please find it in your hearts to help these items have a new life, a new freedom

Source of inspiration

the Polymer Clay collection
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

Im always surprised at where inspiration comes from. Sometimes its a challenge, sometimes its a random idea, sometimes it just comes from experimenting, and altering and experimenting and altering.

Unfortunately recently Im not getting very inspired. Im getting very--oh whats the word? The extreme opposite of inspired--Depressed.
Instead of seeing a bright spot and a point to jump off from, Im seeing ideas that all I can wonder is why didnt I think of that?
Im seeing people do something amazingly simple and sell it in droves. I try to do something simple and sell nothing.
Frankly my sales are nil.

I set up the booth at the recent neighborhood garage sale. I figured there is no entry fee, I might sell something. Well I did sell something. And again I got lots of genuine complements. Im getting good at being able to tell the difference from "interesting" read "weird", or "my friend so and so would love this" read "this is weird and my one freak friend would like it;" from actual real compliments.

Im thinking I might enter the local Christmas Village, since then people would be in the mood to spend money.

Im getting nervous about the upcoming Ren Faire. Im contemplating reducing my prices substantially just to move product. I dont want to sell at wholesale prices, but I want to move product.
If my sales aren't outstanding this year its my last year at the faire.

The Black Calaveras

The Black Calaveras
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

I havent posted in a long time. My day job is kicking my butt!. Lots and lots of prep work. October is in 2 days that means Ren Faire and Halloween and the baby will be 6!
Can I still call her my baby?

PCAGOE's monthly challenge is this week, go visit www.pcagoe.com and vote. voting starts Oct1--Wednesday.
The only reason Im able to participate this month is I planned ahead and made this little entry piece back in June!
Yes some times I am organized.

I havent gotten to do more with clay than just get a therapeutic mush it in and around my fingers for at least a month now. I take that back--I was able to turn out a quick commission for a birthday present. I cant find the surface to my work tabe, pretty soon I wont be able to find the table! I havent (sob sob) even gotten to order some bronze clay.
My requirement was having a work surface.
Guess I need to find some cleaning time.

I really need to find some crafting time.
It puts me in my happy place, and right now Im not in my happy place.

paisley cake and topper

paisley cake and topper
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

In my search for a way to make my living from art, I occasionally mentally breeze thru the wedding industry.

This is an industry renowned for extreme spending in creation of “that perfect day.” My thinking is if they are going to drop some funds on decorations and jewelry to create a fairy tale perfect illusion, why not drop some on me?

Well I have tried to make some wedding specific jewelry. I didn’t even price it extremely outrageous for a wedding, just made it white and sparkly. No buyers.

Well then I have been thinking about cake toppers, more as an extension of the cake decorating Sarah and I have been doing.

Cake toppers are 2 things: sizable business and intimidating!
What kind of topper would I do?
The generic figure? well if someone is going to spend money on my work, why would I make it generic, that’s what Walmart’s wedding section is for.
The custom look alike figure? EEEK! make a figurine that might actually resemble someone without actually making it look deformed? This is intimidating, but then again if I were to do it, this is how I would do it.

Ok so, I think I’m going to try to make cake toppers. Great, how do I practice? Ahhhh, find a cake and make a person for the top of it. Who? the cousin already got married…

Who???

Ahh the cake for Diana!

We toyed with making architecture for her, but then realized we needed it to be more of her than of where she is traveling to. So henna patterns and paisleys! And my brain said put her dancing on top!

At first I didn’t think I was going to have time, second I didn’t think It would turn out.

This is my first representational figurine. I know the concepts of armatures and have read enough articles, as well as created figurines with bases to know how to start. I also understand the anatomy of a face, and again read articles and books and such on building faces (but have not built a face from scratch before that actually looked like a face—I use molds)

Well it turned out, and it turned out ok, and it took a reasonable amount of time. Of course I’m still not sure how I would be able to price it. I did some research and wedding cake toppers are not cheap. So then how much would non-wedding cake toppers be?

Obviously I need some practice.
But it’s a good start.

I like this idea!

this is a component clay cane.
As in its ment to be used as part of some thing, its an enhancement instead of the star.
Most canes I see for sale are the star.
Whenever I think about selling canes they are stars. --I dont mean a literal star I mean the focal piece.
Good idea!
this is by Valleycreations.etsy.com

And its currently on sale

Its time to prepare for the holidays!

So were were at dinner the other night and the restaurant has a gift shop attached and...
I am amazed at all the Christmas and Halloeewn and Thanksgiving stuff already out. I mean it is only the first week of August.
Then again as a kid my crafty aunt always had X-mas gifts made, done and wrapped before September.
And now here I am thinking gee should I make some holoiday appropriate items?
Im not in a halloween mood and yet it probably is halloween product time.
And I should probably be thinking about X-mas products and presents as well.
Im not too good about this being ahead of the craft market for product, but I guess its time I did some preplanning.
I wonder what I should do?
I know I have a slew of Day-of-the-Dead items I want to make
and I should start planning out some potential Christmas craft classes, as well as make some ornaments.
I dont want to be the Christmas shop, as I am a die-hard 12 days of X-mas fan, and I dont like seeing all the lights go up before Thanksgiving. by the time the day comes around Im ready to be done, and Id rather be ready to get started, with the end party on twelfth night, but thats just me. Maybe a few Santa pins wont be too horrible.
Now as far as the halloween stuff....
I want my stuff to be seasonally appropriate, but not limited to the season
Valentines day is good for that, I mean hearts are good all the time, they dont have to be red and rosey to be a heart
ooh maybe I could that, holiday hearts...
ooh idea is a brewing.....

Too cute!

Shes a wall dancer
I found her on etsy!
kerijoy.etsy.com